This is a recipe that ticks all the essential components of a perfect dish: absolutely delightful flavor, ready in just a few minutes (10, 15 if you're taking your time), with only a handful of pantry-friendly ingredients. This is the beauty of Italian cuisine – always an inspiration, just like these spaghetti with canned sardines. The only downside to this recipe? You won’t be able to stop at just one serving.
What you need and how it’s made:
✔️ Start by cooking some spaghetti (usually, 100-120g per serving is enough; 150g if you’re feeling extra hungry).
✔️ Toast some breadcrumbs in a pan with a little olive oil, and add 2-3 minced garlic cloves and some finely chopped parsley – this is what Italians call pangrattato, which in some regions is used in place of grated Parmesan. Once the mixture is off the heat and cooled, you can mix in a tablespoon of grated Parmesan (don’t add it while it’s hot, or it’ll melt).
✔️ In another pan, heat some olive oil and add, one by one: a finely chopped onion, 2 minced garlic cloves, sardines from a can (break them up with a fork), juice from half a lemon, and a bit of tomato sauce (I used homemade sauce).
✔️ Add two to three teaspoons of capers to the sauce and season everything with some chili flakes if you enjoy a little heat – if not, just use pepper and a tiny pinch of salt, as the sardines are already salty. Don’t forget to taste and adjust the seasoning for balance.
✔️ If, while cooking, you happen to have a glass of wine nearby (as I did 🤷🏻♀️), feel free to pour a splash into the sauce. If not, you can add a bit of the pasta cooking water now and then.
✔️ Once the pasta is cooked al dente, add it to the sauce, toss everything together, and serve with a sprinkle of pangrattato on top and a little more fresh parsley for color and freshness.
✔️ Open a nicely chilled bottle of wine to complete the picture.
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